Generosity and Gratitude
by Bonkers4Reid
Summary: One-shot. Takes place right after Nameless, Faceless  5.1  Reid is on crutches and Garcia comes to visit.  Friendship pairing


_Just a little one-shot that takes place right after the season 5 premiere, Nameless, Faceless. Reid has been shot in the leg and is on crutches._

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"The shifts of Fortune test the reliability of friends." –Cicero

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There was a knock at the door. Spencer hauled himself up on his crutches and went to go answer it. He was surprised to see Penelope's face through the peep hole.

He opened the door and said "Garcia, what are you doing here?"

"What do you think I'm doing? You're hurt and I've come to help you out!" Garcia replied, as though it was obvious.

Flabbergasted, Reid said, "Oh, well thanks for the offer, but I can manage on my own."

"Oh no Reid, I drove all the way over here, you can't get rid of me that quickly!" said Penelope as she slipped past him and into his apartment.

"Really Garcia, I'm fine. I can take care of myself. I'm only on crutches, it's not like I broke both of my arms or something." argued Spencer.

"Stop fighting, I'm already here. Come sit!" said Garcia from the couch. She was reaching into a large polka-dotted tote bag that she had brought with her. Penelope pulled out two to-go food containers. "Have you eaten?" she asked.

"No, actually I was thinking about ordering a sub sandwich before you came." replied Reid.

"Well I thought you might be hungry so I picked up some Fettuccine Alfredo at Applebee's on the way over." explained Penelope.

"Thanks, sounds great! I'll pay you back half." said Reid as he started to get up to find his wallet.

"You'll do no such thing! My treat! Plus, I had a coupon so it really wasn't all that much." said Garcia, stopping him.

"You sure? It's nothing." asked Reid.

"I insist! Now eat up and get some food into your skinny self!" she ordered.

"So why'd you come?" asked Reid between forkfuls of pasta.

"I wanted to make sure you were okay. I know what you're going through." Garcia replied.

"What do you mean?" asked Reid once he'd swallowed a big bite.

"Well I'm the only other person in the BAU who's been shot, well besides Elle." she explained.

"Garcia, a leg wound does NOT compare to what happened to you. You almost died!" exclaimed Reid.

"I know, I know. I feel like I needed to be here for you because of the way you guys were there for me. But I feel really bad about what happened, Reid. You were alone, the rest of the team was either with Jeffrey Barton or concerned about Hotch. We all sort of abandoned you." said Garcia.

"Listen," he looked into her eyes which were welling with tears. "What happened was not your fault, nor is it any of the other team members' faults. Patrick Meyers was overcome with grief for his son. He decided to take it out on Dr. Barton. I got in the way, which is a good thing because he probably would have killed the doctor if given the chance." said Reid.

"Oh Reid, I love you. You handle everything so eloquently. I guess I came because I see you as my little brother; someone I have to watch out for, to protect." she said as she hugged him.

"Penelope, you are like a big sister. But if you're in Quantico, you can't always be there to protect us, your family." said Reid.

"I know, that's why when horrible things happen I blame myself. I can't help it. I'm very protective over you guys." she said.

"You can't blame yourself for things you have no control over." said Spencer.

"I know, I know. It's a bad habit, but it's part of who I am." laughed Penelope, calming down a bit.

"So why'd you come see me? I mean I'm glad you're here and this pasta is delicious, but Hotch is a whole lot worse off than me. You should have gone to see **him** in the hospital." said Reid.

"Well to be completely honest, I do want to be there for him, but I'm a little afraid of Hotch sometimes." Garcia laughed, then she broke down again, crying. "Oh, that's so horrible of me, you're right, I should have gone to see him!"

"Hey, you've got to calm down Garcia! I know exactly what you're talking about, Hotch is pretty scary sometimes! There's no denying it. I think that's what makes him so good at this job. He doesn't show fear to the unsubs. Sometimes he can even intimidate them." replied Reid.

"Thank you! I'm not alone!" she laughed. "That's why I came to see you Reid, you're about as intimidating as a penguin!"

"Wow. A penguin? Seriously, Penelope? I'm a _penguin_?" he laughed, then remembered something, "Actually it's funny you should say that because there is evidence that penguins are actually more aggressive than you're implying. Sometimes when a mother penguin loses a chick, it will try to steal another. But they're usually unsuccessful because the other penguins in the colony will assist the defending mother in protecting her chick." stated Reid.

"Oh Reid, only you!" she put his hand in hers. "I should have known you'd defend the penguins. Dr. Statistician to the rescue!" They laughed.

"Garcia, I'm sorry for being so unwelcoming. The whole time you've been here I've been trying to run you out or asking why you even came when I should have just accepted your generosity." said Reid.

"It's okay Spencer, I know how hard it can be for people to let others into their bubbles." said Garcia. "I kind of came here for myself. I needed this. I… I" she started to cry once again.

"Is it that time of the month or something?" Reid joked awkwardly.

Garcia embraced him again "Well yes, but that not why I'm so emotional right now. I actually just broke up with Kevin."

"I'm sorry Penelope. What happened? If you don't mind me asking that is…" replied Reid.

"Oh, no need to apologize Reid. _I _broke up with him. I realized I could do better. He and I have a lot in common, but he's almost too similar, you know what I mean?" she said.

"No, I'm afraid I don't really understand, but I do see what you're getting at." said Reid. "Oh Penelope you aren't trying to make a move on me or something…?"

"NO! Omigosh Reid! No, no, no, no, no! That was so not what I was thinking!" she was standing now. Then Garcia realized how ridiculous of a situation she'd gotten herself into; here she was sitting on a couch with a co-worker: comforting him, spilling her guts, and revealing that she'd just broken up with her boyfriend.

Reid was laughing, "I'm glad, like I said I see you as a _sister_."

"Agreed! Although I wouldn't mind it one bit if Derek were to make a move!" she giggled. "Well I better get going, it's getting late." Garcia went to the kitchen to throw away the empty food containers. Then she gathered her belongings.

When Garcia was ready to go, Reid stood up on his crutches and hugged her. "I'm so glad you came. I just can't express my gratitude to have such a great friend like you who cares so much!"

"Ditto. I love you Reid" responded Garcia.

She let herself out.

'I love you too, Garcia.' thought Reid as he reclined once again.

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"I've learned that all a person has in life is family and friends. If you lose those, you have nothing, so friends are to be treasured more than anything else in the world." -Trey Parker and

Matt Stone

"Genius might be described as a supreme capacity for getting its possessors into trouble of all kinds." -Samuel Butler

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_Please Review! :) (please be kind it's my second-ever story and first-ever one-shot!)_


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